Kings hoping all their moving parts can add up to Stanley Cup run

The Kings’ season will be an exercise in mathematical wizardry and an attempt to exorcise the memory of two consecutive playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.

The math component looms large for the Kings, who open the season Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena, because the NHL’s hard salary cap has grown slowly since the COVID-19 pandemic and stands at $83.5 million. They aren’t alone in starting the season with fewer than the maximum 23 players on their roster — they might open with 20 — and they’ll probably dress 11 forwards instead of the usual 12 in some games in order to stay under the cap limit.

The roster and lineups could change often, creating unpredictability and questions for a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations but might have to make a move if the Pheonix Copley-Cam Talbot goaltending tandem can’t produce top-tier performances. The uncertainty surrounding the roster is the most Kings coach Todd McLellan has faced, and he’s starting his sixth season with them and 17th as an NHL coach.

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“Yeah, I can’t lie. I can’t beat around the bush. This is,” said McLellan, whose contract was extended through the 2024-25 season. “But we are in a unique situation, and when I say we, I’m going to talk about the league as a whole. Because there’s a lot of teams that are juggling rosters and cap constraints.

“But we’re not surprised by it. We were informed and are aware. It can’t be an excuse for not being prepared to play .”

Anze Kopitar, who led the Kings in scoring last season for the 15th time in 16 seasons, suggested dressing fewer forwards could have some benefits.

“It’s certainly something new and something we haven’t seen as often before,” he said, “but then again, everybody…